will build my Church and hell gates shall not preuaile against it So S. Ambrose fundamentum ecclesiae fides est so Chrysostome vpon this faith and confession I will build my Church fortitudo fidei petra est propter quam Simon dictus est Petrus so Theophylact this confession is the foundation of all such as beleeue so Gregory Nyssen delect testimon ex vet testament de sanct trinit contra Iudeos vpon this rocke that is vpon this confession of me to be the sonne of the liuing God so S. Augustin vpon that which thou hast acknowledged and said I will build my Church so Cyril and Hilarius and other Doctors apud Maldonat in loc In one word Ionas sometime Bishop of Orleance writes peremptorily lib. 3 de cultu imaginum that many yea most expound vpon this rocke to be nothing else but vpon this confession of faith in saying thou art the Christ the sonne of the liuing God so that I am occasioned here iustly to returne Campians flourish vpon the papist patres admiserit captus est excluserit nullus est Their owne writers in their commentaries vpon this text accord with vs and the fathers about this exposition as namely Hugo Cardinal ord gloss Dio. Carthusia Soarez Epis Conimbricensis Iohan. Arboreus Iohan. Ferus Alphons Tostatus and many moe I conclude this obseruation with Ambrose Christ denyed not to his disciple the grace of this name that he should be called Peter because he had solidity of constancy and stedfastnes of faith of the rocke endeuour therefore that thou mayest also be a rocke seeke the rocke not without thee but within thee thine act is thy rocke thy minde is thy rocke let thine house be built vpon this rocke that it may not be beaten with any stormes of spirituall wickednes faith is thy rocke faith is the foundation of the Church if thou be a rocke thou shalt be in the Church because the Church is vpon a rocke c. Bellarmine being compassed about with such a cloud of witnesses answereth by distinction affirming that faith as it is considered in it selfe is not the foundation of Gods house but as it hath a relation vnto the person of Peter in which assertion he contradicteth himselfe elsewhere both alleadging often and approuing also the saying of Augustine Domus dei credendo fundatur sperando erigitur diligendo perficitur As to make an house saith he cap. 1. cathechis it is needfull first to place the foundation then to raise the walles and last of all to couer it with the roofe and to doe these things there be some instruments necessary so to make in our selues the building of saluation we need the foundation of faith the walles of hope the roofe of charity and the instruments are the most holy Sacraments It is Bellarmines opinion then in that place that faith in abstracto considered without any mention of any relation vnto Peter is the foundation of our iustification and eternall saluation Now the vniuersall Church and euery particular temple of the holy Ghost as Theophylact obserues haue one and the same foundation and that is faith and that faith is not the personall and particular faith of Peter alone for hell gates as Abulensis noteth haue preuailed against it and Lira telleth vs that many Popes haue bin Apostataes and Io. Arboreus confesseth honestly that Romanus pontifex potest esse schismaticus haereticus It is a seely shift of Alanus Copus to say that Peter denyed not the faith of Christ but his faith saued he denied no more then Christ for as reuerend Iewell acutely replies by this pretty tricke a man may haue both Christ without faith and also faith without Christ. The fathers then in making faith the foundation of Gods house meane the common faith of which a confessiō is made here by Peter as the mouth of his fellowes and type of the whole Church it is the Creed of the Apostles and not the singular beleife of Peter only Saint Paul told his Ephesians that they were built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Iesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone that is vpon Christ as being the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles vpon that faith and doctrine which the Prophets and Apostles taught in the old and new testament the summe whereof is briefly this that Iesus is that Christ the sonne of the liuing God The same Paul in the same letter affirmes that there is but one Lord and but one faith Vna quoth Aquine ratione obiecti sed diuersa ratione subiecti faith in regard of her especiall obiect is but one because there is but one Lord the sonne of the liuing God but it is diuers in respect of diuers beleeuers all which are Peters and liuing stones in the building of Gods house 1. Pet. 2. 5. If Bellarmine then vnderstand by the faith of Peter that generall faith that was in all the Apostles who did all by Peters mouth confesse the same then are they all by Christs answere made foundation-stones of the Church as well as Peter It is certaine that Christ had his Church from the beginning of the world built vpon the foundation of the Prophets himselfe being the corner stone set vp in the most conspicuous place thereof and a head stone in the very top and highest part of all and therefore he speakes in this text of the continuance and enlarging of his Church among the Gentiles by the ministration of his Apostles Among other contradictions of the Papists it is an axiome receiued in their owne schoole symbolica theologia non est argumentatiua that is we may not fetch an argument in diuinity from allegories and metaphores vnlesse we can elsewhere shew that the same thing is taught in a literal sense but the Papists are not able to produce so much as one Scripture where Peter is expresly called the foundation of the Church ergo to raise his absolute Monarchie vpon the bare metaphor of a rocke is not to build on a firme rocke but vpon the fickle sand how they further oppose the fathers and Aegiptian-like fight one against another in their expositions of this place see Doctor Fulke in loc D. Sutlif de Rom. pon lib. 2. cap. 2. 3. 4. D. Morton Apolog cat part 2. lib. 5. cap. 21. 22. M. Mason tract of consecration lib. 4. cap. 2. but especially Causabon exercit 15. ad annal eccles Baron where you shall find euery word of this our text examined most exactly The Epistle ACTS 11. 27. In those dayes came Prophets from the City of Hierusalem vnto Antioch c. THe contents of this text are dearth and death the dearth is generall a great dearth thorough out all the world the death is particular of one person only to wit of Iames the brother of Iohn whose memory we celebrate this day In the
to be offred and the time of my departing is at hand Euery true Christian offers vp himselfe an holie sacrifice to the Lord the which is begun in our baptisme continued in our life finished at our death And surely beloued if all be blessed who dye in the Lord much more they who dye for the Lord right deare in the sight of the Lord is the death of such his Saints The glorious Martyr Polycarpus like a notable Ramme picked out of a great flocke fit for an acceptable burnt sacrifice to God vsed this prayer when he was offered vp O father of thy well beloued and blessed sonne Iesus Christ thorough whom we haue knowen thee O God of the Angels and powers and of all sortes of iust men that liue in thy presence I thanke thee that thou hast gratiously vouch safed this day and this houre to allot me aportion among the number of Martyrs among the people of Christ vnto there surrection of euerlasting life both of body and soule in the incorruption of the bo◅y Ghost among whom I shall be receiued in thy sight this day as a fruitfull and a well pleasing sacrifice c. How death is called a departing see Nunc dimittis in the Liturgie how our life is a fight Epist. 1. Sun after Easter and Epist. 21. Sun after Trinity how a course or race Epist. on Sept◅agesima Sunday There is laid vp for me a crowne of righteousnes Almighty God rendreth heauen as a iust iudge not to the worthines of our workes but to the merits of Christ and as due to vs by his promise freely made in Christ in respect of vs it is a garland of fauour only but in respect of Christ who meritoriously purchased it for vs it is a crowne of iustice So S. Augustine construeth our text cui redderet coronam iustus iudex sinon donasset gratiam misericors pater quomodo esset ista corona iustitiae nisi praecessisset gratia quae iustificat impium quomodo ista debita redderetur nisi prius illa gratuita donaretur How should he repay as a iust Iudge vnlesse he had first giuen as a mercifull father and how should this be a crowne of iustice if grace had not gone before which iustifieth the vngodly man dona sua coronat Deus non merita tua siergo dei dona sunt bona merita tua non Deus coronat merita tua tanquam merita tua sed tanquam dona sua See Gospell on Septuagesima Sunday The Gospell LVKE 10. 1. The Lord appointed other seuenty c. IN this Scripture two points are to be considered especially Vox domini Christs word and ordination of his Disciples the Lord appointed other seuenty c. To whom hee said goe your wayes behold I send you forth c. Via discipuli the Disciples worke and condition as labourers in an haruest as lambes among wolues Of all which I haue treated often elsewhere but of the most obseruable notes hereof especially Gosp. 1. Sun after Easter and Gosp. on S. Andrewes and Ascension day The reason why the Church allotted this Epistle for this festiuall is because S. Luke was as some thinke one of the seauenty Disciples and the reason in appointing our Gospell is for that S. Luke was an Euangelist The Epistle IVDE 1. Iudas the seruant of Iesus Christ c. THis Epistle may be diuided in two parts a Salutatiō in which obserue the Saluter described by his Name Iudas Office seruant of Iesus Christ. Kindred brother of Iames. Saluted commended by 3. graces Called Sanctified Preserued Salutation it selfe mercy vnto you and peace and loue be multiplied Salue consisting of an Exhortation to continue stedfast in the faith once giuen vnto the Saints c. Reason because certaine vngodly men are craftily crept in c. Iudas Iudas signifieth a Confessor of which name there was another Apostle called Iudas Iscariot who betrayed Christ in these two Iudasses is shadowed this mysterie that in the visible Church there will alway bee some bad as well as good professors Iudas a Deuill as well as Iudas a Saint See Gospell Sunday next before Easter The seruant of Iesus Christ Among all his titles hee reputed this most honorable for it is an excellent freedome to serue the Lord 1. Cor. 7. 22. Paul and Peter name themselues first seruants of Iesus Christ and then Apostles and S. Iames which is called the Lords brother Galat. 1. 19. Leauing that name stileth himselfe the seruant of Iesus Christ Iames 1. 1. If it were such a noble priuiledge to be subiect vnto Caesar how much more to be seruant vnto Christ which is the King of all Kings And that in regard of his protection and prouision as for his protection he saith I the Lord thy God will bee with thee whether soeuer thou goest I will not faile thee nor for sake thee and then if God be for vs who can bee against vs Rom. 8. 31. As for prouision all his seruants in this world haue bread enough Luke 15. 17. And in the world to come they shall bee no lesse then Kings sitting vpon thrones hauing palmes in their handes and on their heads crownes of gold Apocalyp 4. 4. See Nunc dimittis and Epist. on S. Iames day The brother of Iames He remembreth his kindred and alliance partly to distinguish himselfe from Iudas the traytor and partly to gaine credite to his writing For albeit the word of God depend not vpon the worth of men yet it is certainly true that his doctrine is best accepted whose person is most honoured If a preacher then be borne of nobles or allyed to men of great name and quality let him not in any sort neglect this outward blessing of God but vse it as S. Iude here to the furtherance of the Gospell and setting forth of Gods glory Iames and Iude were brethren in blood and brethren in good as Aquin and the glosse fratres natura fide doctrina vita How Iudas is distinguished from Simon and why both are ioyned together in one festiuall I referre thee to Baronius annal Eccles. not at in Rom. martyrolog Octob. 28. To them which are called and sanctified To be called into the Church and vnto the hearing of Christs Gospell is vocation externall to be sanctified is vocation internall to be preserued in Christ is vocation eternall Here then are set three partes of our iustification and incorporation into Iesus Christ vocation by God the father sanctification by the holy Ghost preseruation by Christ. Vocation is an effect of election and so happily S. Iude cals them called whom God hath elected as Rom. 1. 7. Beloued of God called to be Saints he doth insinuate that we come not vnto God except he call vs if we loue him it is because he loued vs first 1. Iohn 4. 19. As he speakes by the
light of the word shines in the hearts of his elect and it is Gods iustice that it is hidden among those which are lost I am come said Christ vnto iudgement in this world that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blind And Rom. 11. 8. God hath giuen them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see and eares that they should not heare that the Gospell in it selfe a shining light and the power of God vnto saluation should be hidden among the lost and so become the sauour of death vnto death is an heauie yet an holie iudgement For as they regard not to know God euen so God deliuers them vp vnto a reprobate sense suffring their eyes to be blinded least the light of the Gospell should shine vnto them As by the bright beames of the sunne waxe is softned and yet dirt is hardned euen so by the preaching of the word the hearts of such as shall be saued are mollified but the hearts of such as are lost are further hardned To day then euen while it is called to day suffer the words of exhortation if thou haue an eare to heare harden not thine heart but harken vnto Gods voice speaking in the bookes of his Scriptures and by the mouthes of his Prophets vnto thee Other vnderstand this of Satan here called the god as elsewhere the prince of this world that is seculariter viuentium of the wicked of the world in whom he ruleth and worketh as yelding to his suggestions It is not Satans power that makes him a god and a prince but only the weaknesse of the wicked admitting him as a lord of mis-rule for he saith Paul is our master to whom we submit our selues as seruants Christ is the Lord of heauen and earth by a threefold right iure creationis merito redemptionis dono patris but the deuill is god of this world only quoth Aquine imitatione because the wicked of this world are his followers as hauing their vnderstanding darkned and their minds blinded and hearts hardned thorough his entising temptations And so Paul in this present epistle chap. 11. vers 3. I feare least as the serpent beguiled Eue thorough his subtletie so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicitie that is in Christ. The Gospell is a glasse wherein we may behold Christ and Christ is an expresse character and image of God as himselfe said he that hath seene me hath seene my father and this is eternall life to know God and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ Iohn 17. 3. If then thou heare the word often and yet continue still in vnbeleife the fault is not in God or his Gospell but in thy selfe and Sathan who blinds the minds of such as are lost c. We preach not our selues least he should be thought arrogant in commending his sedulous and sincere preaching he confesseth humbly that himselfe and his fellowes were not principall agents in their conuersion but instrumentall only Christ is the Lord and we your seruants for his sake for it is God that commands the light to shine out of darknesse which hath shined in our hearts for to giue the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ. And we haue this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellencie of that power might be of God and not of vs. See epistle 3. Sun in Aduent and 1. in Lent This scripture may be tearmed aptly manipulus Curatorum 1. Instructing all such as haue cure of soules to be diligent in their ministrie considering the worthinesse of their function and the goodnesse of God in making them apt to teach and in calling them vnto such an high office 2. To be rather solide then subtle preaching plainly to the conscience 3. To be humble not as though they were lords ouer Gods heritage but in meeknesse of spirit behauing themselues as seruants for Iesus sake The Gospell MATTH 9. 9. As Iesus passed foorth from thence he saw a man named Matthew c. IN this text 2. points are more cheifly regardable namely the Calling of Matthew wherein obserue the Bountifulnes of Christ in calling hee saw a man named Matthew c. Duetifulnesse of Matthew in comming he arose and followed him Cauilling of the Pharisees and in it Their accusation Why eateth your master with Publicanes and sinners Christs excusation answering for himself by groūds of Reason they that be strong neede not the Phisition Religion goe yee rather learne c. As Iesus passed foorth from thence we may not slightly passe ouer the passing of Iesus here from place to place doing good and acting works of mercie and miracle Craftie polititians thrust themselues into the center of the world as if all times should meet in their ends neuer caring in any tempest what becommeth of the ship of estate so they may be safe in the coc-boat of their owne fortune But Christ here neglecting his priuate boat was all for the publique ship of the Church being not only painfull in his owne person all his life but also carefull in calling apostles who might as cunning masters and pilots guide the Churches ship after his death By this example princes which ought to be nursing fathers vnto the Church are taught not only to see that matters be well ordered for the present but also to foresee such things as may be for the good of the Church in time to come They must especially maintaine the schooles of the prophets as the seminaries and nurseries of the Clergie that there may be from time to time Peters and Matthewes apt and able labourers in the Lords haruest As for you which are men of meane qualitie though it be true that yee can not found Colledges or endue the Church with any large reuenewes yet ye can pray for the peace of Hierusalem and wish hartily that plenteousnesse may be within her pallaces And therefore when any sute concerning the Clergie shall be tried by your verdite forsake not the Leuite as long as thou liuest vpon earth Let no malignant humour cause thee to rob God of his due the Minister of his dutie that the Gospell may not only florish in our dayes but that there may be still a succession of learned men in all ages to come who may comfort Hierusalem at the heart and withstand all her enemies in the gate He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the receit of custome He saw Matthew not as then he saw many moe with his corporall eyes only but also with his all-seeing eyes of prescience knowing that he was a pearle in a dunghil a chosen vessell vnto the Lord from all eternitie And with his pitifull eyes of mercie euen with the verie same eyes he saw the grieuous troubles of his children in Aegypt and with the same eyes
first of all the Gospels 3. Great as being the most large diuided by the moderne Latines into 28. Chapters but according to the partition of Hilarius in former ages into 33. or as Druthmanus into 67. Canons Among the Grecians Euthymius parteth it into 68. Chapters Eusebius Ammonius Suidas into 355. and lastly great as intending principally to shew that the man Christ is the Messias and Sauiour of the world promised by the Prophets and prefigured in the sacrifices of the law Saint Matthew hauing cheerefully followed Christ in hearing his Gospell in preaching his Gospell in writing his Gospell on this day suffered martyrdome constantly for his Gospell Christ euery day calleth vs and saith vnto vs as here to Matthew follow me though he doe not this immediatly by himselfe yet he speaketh vnto vs by the tongues of his Preachers as he spake in olde time to our fathers by the mouthes of the Prophets It is our duty therefore to come when hee calleth as his seruant Matthew quickly conueniently constantly cheerefully Quickly without delay make no tarying to turne vnto the Lord but to day while it is called to day let vs heare his voyce conueniently forsaking our selues and casting away euery thing that presseth downe and hindreth vs in our way to Christ Heb. 12. 1 constantly going from strength to strength and continuing faithfull vnto the death cheerefully making Christ a great feast in our owne house Happily thou wilt obiect if I had liued in that golden age when Christ my Sauiour blessed the world with his bodily presence then I would haue worshipped him and followed him and feasted him but alas I haue good cause to complaine with Mary Magdalene they haue taken away the Lord and where should I finde him if I would now feast him O beloued albeit Christ is in heauen and thou art on earth yet thou mayest and that in thine owne house make to him a double feast a spirituall feast and a corporall a spirituall for his meat is to doe the will of God Iohn 4. 34. And the will of God is to beleeue in him whom he hath sent Iohn 6. 29. So that whosoeuer beleeueth in Christ and openeth the doore to his knocke maketh him a feast in the parlour of his heart So himselfe saith I stand at the doore and knocke if any man heare my voyce and open the doore I will come in vnto him and will sup with him and he with me The Poets feigned that their God Iupiter fed on Nectar and Ambrosia Iupiter Ambrosia satur est Nectare plenus But the God of heauen is refreshed with the fruites of the spirit loue ioy peace long-suffering gentlenes goodnes faith meekenes temperance these dishes are his dainties Thou mayest also feast him corporally for whatsoeuer is done to his followers he taketh as done to himselfe because they be members of his body of his flesh and of his bone this hee will openly protest at the last day Mat. 25. 35. I was an hungred and ye gaue me meate I thirsted and ye gaue me drinke for in as much as ye haue done it vnto one of the least of these my brethren ye haue done it vnto me And when the Pharisces saw it In the Pharisces accusation obserue these two circumstances especially To whom And of whom it was made to whom they said vnto his Disciples of whom of Christ and the rest of the guests in Matthewes house why eateth your master with publicans and sinners c. In making this obiection vnto the Disciples and not vnto Christ himselfe they shew themselues to bee crafty calumniatours It was craft to set vpon the weake Disciples being a little before confounded by their master and it was a calumnie to mutter that behind his backe which they dare not vtter vnto his face But this was their ordinary guile to vent their gaule when they conceited that the Disciples did amisse they cauilled with Christ why doe thy Disciples transgresse the traditions of the fathers for they wash not their hands when they eate bread And when they thought Christ offended they told his Disciples why eateth your master with publicanes and sinners In the fact of the Disciples they cauilled with Christ in the fact of Christ they cauilled with the Disciples in both their malitious intent was to dishonour the Gospell and estrange the Disciples from Christ and Christ from his Disciples In our age there be many such enuious sycophants who being once got betweene the pot and the wall chat in secret against that which Christ and his Ministers haue chaunted in publique The Pharisees accusing Christ and his company Publicanes and sinners offended in vncharitablenes pride in vncharitablenes toward Christ ac si consentiens in culpa qui consentiens in coena as if he had communicated with them in mischiefe as he did common with them at meate whereas Christ conuersed with publicans and sinners as the physitian with the sicke they made not him worse but he made them better he had no fellowship with vnfruitfull workes of darknes but only with the workers he did loue their persons but leaue their vices see Gospell on the 3. Sun after Trinity Againe the Pharisees were very cruell and vncharitable toward the Publicanes in that they despised them and had no feeling of their miseries or care for their conuersion and lastly they shew their pride by iustifying themselues impudently whereas they should rather haue confessed ingeniously with the Psalmist enter not into iudgement with thy seruants for no flesh is righteous in thy sight and with Iob if the starres are vncleane in his sight how much more man a worme euen the sonne of man which is but a worme and with Esay we haue all bin an vncleane thing and all our righteousnes is as filthy cloutes When Christ heard that he said vnto them He replied vnto the Pharisees not as hoping to mende them by his answere but least his Disciples otherwise might bee scandalized hereby giuing vs an example to meet with opprobrious cauils and calumnies against the Gospell and that not to satisfie so much our aduersaries as to strengthen our auditours They that be strong need not the physitian This sentence may be considered as a scomma to the Pharisees who were so righteous and strong in their own conceit as that they did not in any case need a physitian but as a Lemma for others in which as in the rest of his Apologie Christ insinuates that he came into the world not to constraine but to call not the righteous who iustifie themselues but sinners euen such as feele their wickednes and weakenes such as are broken hearted such as are laden and weary with the burden of their iniquity not to licentiousnes in their sinne or to punishment for their sinne or to satisfaction for their sinne
dearth obserue 1. Gods iustice in punishing the wicked with a dearth and that a great dearth and that through out the world 2. Gods mercy in preseruing the godly foretelling it by his Prophet Agabus and so consequently preuenting the rage of it by the prouident care and charitable contributions of Disciples and brethren In the death obserue the Murtherer Herod the King Martyr Iames the brother of Iohn Matter or cause why for that he was of the Church Manner with the sword Dearth is one of Gods foure sore iudgements Ezechiel 14. 21. Barrennes of the ground is a maine string of his whip against sinne when saith he the land sinneth against me by committing a trespasse then I will stretch out mine hand vpon it and will breake the staffe of the bread thereof and will send famine vpon it If ye will not obey me nor hearken vnto my commandements I will make your heauen as iron and your earth as brasse your strength shall be spent in vaine neither shall your land giue her increase neither shall the trees of the land giue their fruit Famine then is brought vpon a kingdome by Gods appointment and that for the sinnes of the land and surely Saint Luke points at the causes of this vniuersall dearth in saying it came to passe in the dayes of Claudius Caesar. For by the worlds Emperour we may iudge much of the worlds estate the vices of Princes first infect the nobles and then afterward the nobles infect the gentlemen and the gentlemen in fine corrupt the commons qualis rex talis grex such prince such people It is reported of this Claudius that he did indulgere conuiuijs concubitibus effusissimè growing thorough his intemperance so dull and vnfit for any good seruice that his mother vsed to say he was a monster of men a worke of nature begun but not finished he got his Empire by corrupting the souldiers and during his reigne he serued his belly committing all vncleannes euen with greedines no maruaile then if the Lord sent a dearth in the dayes of Claudius no wonder if he denyed the fruites of the ground vnto such a drunken and dissolute generation in our age moe then one Claudius reignes there be many Kings of good fellowes in the world drunkennes domineers in euery place the country village not excepted abusing the manifold blessings of God in wantonnes and idlenes and therefore wee may feare iustly that the Lord ere it be long will send some great dearth among vs as hee did in the dayes of our forefathers he hath already whet his sword and bent his bow and prepared his arrowe to shoote at vs he hath in these latter yeares turned our winters into sommers and our sommers into winters so that whereas Christ said the haruest is great and the labourers are few we contrariwise the labourers are many but the haruest is little he hath in the spring nipped the fruites of our trees and in autumne taken away the flockes of our sheepe hee hath also cursed our basket and our dough in so much as the poore haue long felt a dearth and the rich also begin to feare a famine the which is the most grieuous of all the foure sore iudgements of God for the noysome beasts and the sword kill in a moment but there be many lingring deaths in a dearth as the Prophet in his lamentations they that be slaine with the sword are better then they that be killed with hunger and to the same purpose Vegetius ferro saeuior fames And as for the pestilence there was alwayes in nature so well as in name so great affinity betweene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that as Physitians and experience daily teach after a great dearth ordinarily there followeth a great plague because men in a scarsity of victuals are constrained out of necessity to feed on vnwholsome and vnsauory meates in holy Bible we find example that extreame hunger made mothers murtherers and so turned the sanctuary of life into the shambles of death Lamentat 4. 10. The hands of pitifull women haue sodden their owne children which were there meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people Famine then as S. Basile termeth it is the top of all humane calamities for whereas the noysome beasts and the sword and the pestilence make quicke dispatch out of misery fames diutiùs malum ocyùs torquet lentiùs tabefacit sensim occidit In this great dearth it is certaine that the godly suffered among the wicked the good among the bad the beleeuing Christians among vnbeleeuing Gentiles the Church of Antioch as we read in the former part of this present Chapter endued with many notable graces and adorned with this eminent honour that the Disciples were first called Christians in Antioch is afflicted now with a grieuous dearth I say now when her goods were partly taken away by the rage of persecution and partly giuen away to releiue the poore brethren all the world was infested with this dearth and the Church in these respects more then all other of the world Now the reasons are manifold why God suffers his owne people to be crossed 1. To bridle the lust of our flesh that wee should not be condemned with the world 2. To teach vs patience saying with holy Iob shall we receiue good at the hand of God and shall we not receiue euill 3. To shew that he is as well able to deliuer vs in aduersity as to keepe vs in prosperity Psalm 37. 19. The godly shall not be confounded in the perillous time and in the dayes of dearth they shall haue enough So wee finde here that God in his anger remembring mercy comforted his Church in this vniuersall hunger-rot ouer all the world first in foretelling it and afterward by stirring vp the charitable mindes of good people to preuent the furiousnes of it as wel in themselues as in other he foretold this famine for surely the Lord God will doe nothing but he reuealeth his secret vnto his seruants the Prophets He foretold the flood vnto Noe the destruction of Sodome to father Abraham and righteous Lot the dearth in Egypt vnto Ioseph Gen. 41. And here the Prophet Agabus not by starre-gazing or figure-flinging or coniuâ—…ing or any curious arte but by the spirit signified that there should be great dearth thorough out al the world which also came to passe in the dayes of Claudius the Emperour It is obiected here which is said Mat. 11. 13. All the Prophets and the law prophesied vnto Iohn how then could there be Prophets in this age to this obiection answere is made that the meaning of those words is that Christ is the end of the law and the Prophets and so consequently their office who prophesied hee should come was at an end when Iohn the Baptist